The New Orleans Pelicans kicked off their 2026 Summer League stint on Thursday afternoon, falling short with al oss to the Minnesota Timberwovles.
The Pelicans' breakout star for this game was guard Kobe Bufkin, who is hoping to put on a show and make it to a roster somewhere around the league. He caught a lot of eyes in this game. He finished with 30 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block. He was 5-of-9 from deep.
It's dangerous to read too far into any Summer League game, but it's pretty clear that Bufkin belongs on a roster somewhere. The 22-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2023, but he hasn't been able to break through to a rotation somewhere.
As things stand, New Orleans probably doesn't have a huge need for Bufkin. If they were to move on from either Jordan Poole or Jordan Hawkins, Bufkin is someone they could go after for a backup guard.
The same could be said for Markquis Nowell, the 5-foot-7 guard who had a great game, but is always going to fighting an uphill battle at his size. He did as much as he could with 20 points, four rebounds, six assists, five steals and 5-of-9 from deep.
Malik Dia is a two-way candidate for this roster, or potential roster candidate depending on how the rest of the offseason plays out. He had six points and three boards, showing some three-level ability. He needs to work on his three-point shot, but he does enough for what he does as a rebounder and defender.
Micah Peavy continued to show what was good about his offensive game as a rookie. He is an impressive cutter and gets creative in scoring around the rim. If he can be at least a two-level scorer (he went 2-for-4 from deep), his defensive upside is big enough to keep him on the roster with this staff.
The Pelicans might not win a Summer League championship, but they do still a few games to analyze this young talent.
